Cant wait to see the PICS

 

Just a heads up.

 

I'm bored. Thought I'd post the tentative schedule in case some people haven't seen it yet.

I'll try to find a clearer pic of the schedule.

ZDayZ 2006 ActivitieZ

ZDayZ 2006 Activity Schedule (Tentative)

 

Official Newsletter of ZDayZ 2006
May 12, 2006

Greetings! Can you believe there is only one week to go until ZDayZ? It’s been a long time coming, but we think you will find ZDayZ 2006 has been well worth the wait. This will be our last newsletter before the event. It includes some important prep information. So, be sure to look over all the items we have for you today.


ZDayZ Check-in
First, we would like to let you know what to expect when you arrive at ZDayZ. If you are staying onsite at Fontana Village Resort, you will find room check-in at the main lodge. ZDayZ veterans will realize this is a change from previous years when check-in was located separate from the main lodge. Fontana has several signs which will help guide you directly to the lodge.

Once you have checked into your room, you should come by ZDayZ Registration and sign in. ZDayZ Registration will be located in the Adventure Center, the large building between the main lodge and the ball field. There will be signs set up to guide you to ZDayZ Registration. We will have some event information handouts for you at check-in. You will also be able to pick up your pre-order t-shirts, sign up for the ZDayZ Texas Hold’em Tournament, pick up your Scavenger Hunt List, buy additional ZDayZ products, and more.

IMPORTANT! We will give you a ZDayZ name badge when you check-in! You will want to keep the name tag with you at all times during the event. Your name badge will be necessary to enter and participate in ZDayZ activities, including dinners. It will also have your ZDayZ attendee number which is one of the ways we will determine winners for certain sponsor giveaways.


Friday Night Welcome Dinner
We hope most will be able to arrive in time for our Welcome Dinner. This will take place Friday from 6:00pm to 8:00pm and will be our first chance to give you any last minute updates about ZDayZ. Also, don’t forget to wear your outrageous attire for the Cra-Z shirt contest. ZDayZ staff will select several finalists who will be brought up before the group at the end of dinner. At this point, the crowd will help us select the winners who will walk away with some prizes from the ZDayZ treasure trove.


Prep Your Car
As with any enthusiast driving, you should make sure your car is properly prepared before hitting the road. Triangle Z Club has shared their track event safety checklist with us. While you will not be pushing your car as hard as you would at a sanctioned track event, the information is just as relevant for driving in the mountains. We’ve included the information at the end of this newsletter. Please take time to look over it and use it to ensure your car is ready to tame the Dragon!


RC Autocross!!!
Our Saturday night masters of ceremonies have informed me one of the activities during the ZDayZ Late Night will be a remote control car autocross. The event is open to all attendees. Those interested should bring their own RC car to ZDayZ (battery, gas, or other-powered are all acceptable). ZDayZ staff will create a scaled down autocross course for the cars. Each competitor will run the course and those with the best times will win great ZDayZ prizes! This activity will be in addition to other things our folks have planned for Saturday night.






Finally, the last partner sponsor we would like to highlight for ZDayZ 2006 is Z1 Motorsports. Z1 is one of the largest performance specialists for Z-cars on the east coast. They carry a wide range of parts and provide services for 300ZX, 350Zs, and G35s. Z1 is a great supporter of the Z community and it is not unusually to see them at a variety of Z-related and car enthusiast events all year long. You can find more information about Z1 Motorsports on the web at www.z1motorsports.com.


Okay… that should just about get you ready for ZDayZ. See you next week at Tail of the Dragon!!!


Andy Morris
ZDayZ Organizer
info@zdayzevents.com


IMPORTANT! Driving Preparations and Tips

I’d like to thank Stacy King of the Triangle Z Club for providing the following information. I believe it is in everyone’s best interest if all drivers at ZDayZ would read and apply the suggestions he has provided. Above everything else, we would like for everyone to have a thoroughly enjoyable and safe visit to the NC mountains and the ZDayZ event.

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I'll preface what comes next by saying you should always obey all posted speed limits and road-side postings. Obey all standard traffic rules and stay well within the boundaries of safe and responsible driving.

Driving on mountain roads is very much like driving on a racetrack - only much more dangerous. There are three general rules that need to be followed that will help minimize the risks.

#1 - Drive within your limits - If you've never been on a mountain ride before, you're in for a real treat. Know why you are there. If you are there for the view - then utilize the lookout stops, don't try to enjoy the scenery while driving. The roads will switchback on you quicker than you can figure out how to say "chicane" and before you know it you'll be in the other lane, on the shoulder, or worse, in a ravine with friends and strangers trying to figure out how to get you out. Pay attention.

If you're there for the roads, please be courteous to other drivers around you. Don't ride somebody who may be going slower than you. They may not have done this before and you don't want to get them nervous and squirrelly.

#2 - Drive within your car's limits - If you don't know your car's limits, mountains are NOT the place to learn them1. Do you know what to do if your car starts to "push" or "understeer"? Do you know how to control or prevent "oversteer"? Remember - mountain roads (most public roads for that matter) don't offer much run-off room in case you get in over your head. If you've never done an autocross or club high performance driving school, then you need to take it easy - don't try to always keep up with the guy in front of you.

#3 - Make sure your car is mechanically safe and sound - Follow this link to the Triangle Z Club track events page… http://www.thscc.com/timetrial/nonht...id_Form_v5.pdf and download our technical inspection. (The Safety Checklist from this document is provided as an attachment to this information packet). Use it as a checklist to make sure your car will be up to the task of spirited mountain driving. Pay special attention to the brakes, tires, and steering components. Obviously some items won't apply to a mountain ride, but it is good practice to have these items checked out.

Brakes are going to be the single most important system during a mountain ride. If your brakes aren't up to snuff you will come down the mountain a lot faster than you went up… in a bad way. Ideally, you want a high-temp brake pad combined with a high-temp performance brake fluid. Most people will have a tendency to 'ride' the brakes when on descending roads. This is the single worst thing you can do while on the mountain. The friction used to slow the car will create very high temperatures that at best will make your brakes less responsive, and at worst will cause them to not work at all. Performance pads and fluid will increase the tolerances for this, but will not prevent it. Brakes need time to cool down between hard stops. That's the reason behind signs telling trucks to use lower gears and to keep their speed no more than 35 mph, even on a major highway like I-40, through the mountains.
Use a lower gear to help keep the car from gaining too much momentum. Use your brakes in shorter burst as opposed to long periods (even continuous light pressure will heat them up in no time).

Make sure new pads are fully bedded in before going on a mountain ride. New pads can easily 'glaze over' causing a 'dead' pedal (very heavy pedal, no response). Brake fluid should be flushed and replaced with new before an event as well. High temps in inferior fluid cause air bubbles. As most of you know, air compresses easily. When this happens in brake fluid the air compresses and you get the dreaded 'pedal-to-the-floor' syndrome.

The following are items to have with you "just in case":
- Extra brake pads & fluid - basic tools to change
- Water for you & your car if either have a tendency to over-heat
- Map
- Cell phone

Factors to keep in mind at all times:
- Public roads (expect the unexpected)
- Traffic (oncoming or otherwise)
- Pay attention to changing road conditions
- Pay attention to changing car conditions

And by all means - don't do anything stupid that could endanger or embarrass you, your fellow drivers, or the event organizers. We really want to come back next year!
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Anyone in the Charlotte area heading up on Tuesday?

 

Well it's about 6:30 on Fri evening & about to leave work. Will go home & put the last minute clean-up touch's to the "Z"! Then I will put her to sleep & tomorrow awake her to do a full day of "full throttle" driving. Time to wake the "Dragon" C-Ya there, Ciao, Sunset

 

Hope everyone got home safe. I also hope you guys, and gals had as much fun as I did. Thanks to Andy, Morris and the staff for doing such a good job this year. I know you guys enjoyed our (room 469's) high speed downhill golf cart runs. That was the best money spent all weekend. I look foward to seeing everyone next year.

 

I was able to make it and had a great time! The Cape fear Z Club hopes to have a bigger presence there next year.